Man caught on camera using a lighter before garage bursts into flames
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DENVER (KDVR) A Denver family is thankful they are safe and no one was injured after a Ring video camera captured a man loitering around a garage moments before it burst into flames.

On Sunday at around 3:40 a.m., video footage captured a man hanging around a garage. The video then shows him walking over to some nearby trash bins with what looks like a lighter. In the video, you can see a small flame coming from the lighter as he rifles through the trash.

In the video, you can see the suspect loitering around the garage and flicking a lighter at least twice (Credit: Don Gonzales).

The video shows him flicking the lighter once more before walking out of frame. Later, another video shows the garage completely engulfed in flames.

The family said they were asleep when the fire started, but a neighbor was still out at the time.

“I was walking my dog, I heard right away, like a campfire,” said Jose Dias. “I looked up in the air right away and noticed flames, so I just started running with my dog over here.”

Dias said that when he saw flames coming from a garage, he tried knocking on the door, then ran back to get his fire extinguisher. In the footage, you can see him attempting to spray the flames until the fire extinguisher eventually ran out.

“I had to think pretty quick, and I was like, ‘I’m going to go in their yard. I’m pretty sure they’ll be happy about it.’ Grabbed the water hose and did the best that I could to maintain it,” Dias said.

A neighbor jumps in with his personal fire extinguisher to try and maintain the fire until help could arrive (Credit: Don Gonzales).

It’s an act Casie and Doug Bell are grateful for.

“He just stood there the whole time spraying down the fire,” Casie said.

While Dias was using the garden hose, Casie and her husband woke up.

“I don’t even know what I said,” Casie said.

“She wakes me up and she says, ‘Doug, here we go.’ Like she’s been preparing for this moment,” Doug jumped in.

“I did black out and panic a little bit,” Casie admitted.

They called 911, and the Denver Metro Fire Department responded and said they found moderate smoke and fire inside the garage. Fire crews quickly got water on the fire, holding it to the room of origin. They said the cause is still under investigation, but they are investigating for arson.

There were no reported injuries.

Casie said if it hadn’t been for Dias’ quick thinking, she wonders how bad the damage could have been and if the fire would have reached their home.

“That’s the scary part,” she said. “Twenty more minutes and it could’ve been there.”

For now, they hope someone recognizes the individual involved.

“I just hope he doesn’t do it again. I hope it doesn’t happen again. Maybe it was just a bad decision, a bad night,” Casie said.

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